Will saffron party win AMC elections but lose loyalists?

After experiencing the anger of party workers and losing support of some local leaders, who were claimants to BJP tickets in the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation elections, many of the senior leaders are now worried about losing loyal party workers.

While none of the leaders are fretting about BJP's victory — or defeat — in the AMC elections, they are raising questions over the credibility of the new and 'imported' people who don't know much about the party and who have been given tickets.

A senior party leader said: "This is not only about the rift between Amit Shah and Anandiben Patel, or favouring or sidelining their supporters. Actually, there is a big chunk of party workers who have been associated with the party for a long time and they have an emotional bond with BJP. These workers have always worked selflessly in elections, and have sometime spent money from their own pockets for the party. They have not shown interest in getting rewards, till now. Such workers are claiming that such party workers must be considered first for tickets, not the imported or inducted people with vested interests."

Another leader said: "This time, many people who have not been  associated with the party for long and don't know its ideology, have been given tickets. It has created unrest amongst loyal party workers. They are questioning the integrity of these new faces and are claiming that many of them have come to BJP to fulfil their personal interests and not with emotional feelings, as they know that the party will win the elections in any case because of Narendra Modi's leadership and the absence of a strong opposition party."

However, the party leaders are not buying such an argument. An office-bearer in the state BJP unit said: "Every time during the elections, such unrest happens as allotment of tickets don't suit party workers' expectations. But it is only a matter of time, as once the campaigning starts, everybody joins it and forgets their differences."

But a BJP leader from the eastern part of the city said: "Workers in most of the areas in the city are showing rebellious tendency and the reason  is that the people who have been selected are not prominent and popular even at the local level. It is clearly seen that there has been nepotism and favouring friends. Because of such a situation, efficient and experienced party workers who can bring the voters to the booths, are not willing to work in the election. It seems that the poll will be largely fought on the party's symbol and Modi's phenomenon only."